Study shows majority of workforce use full mobile convergence

OnRelay has released the first call data from a successful Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) deployment. The study, on over 36,000 calls, provides insight into the user penetration achievable by cellular FMC technology and its affect on business telephony use.

OnRelay MBX is a complete mobile PBX solution that allows companies to replace desk phones with mobile phones. the study comes from a European manufacturing company, which has seen take up of the solution by 68% of its staff. This figure demonstrates deep penetration of the technology, which saves the company at least £33 per user per month on every desk phone replaced.

According to OnRelay’s study, almost one third of users migrated to IP telephony without installing or needing desk phones. The remaining two thirds actively use the solution while keeping the desk phone for occasional use.

Significantly, the study shows that 45% of all calls logged were outbound, with a call completion rate equivalent to that of GSM. This means that staff with the product use their mobiles in business mode, placing their business calls via their office phone system. The company benefits from ensuring all business communication happens via the corporate dial plan, and staff benefit from clear separation of personal and business telephony.

OnRelay CFO, Marie Wold, said: “The strongest business case in the world can’t defend a technology that no one will use. OnRelay has long proven the cost benefit of replacing desk phones with mobile phones. This study shows that when employees are offered a complete desk phone alternative, they like it and, quite simply, will use it. The upfront savings on hardware make a critical difference in today’s economy.”

OnRelay’s study further shows that 72% of all incoming business calls to users of the product were answered, whereas prior to the deployment, staff at the firm answered only 30% of all incoming calls to their business line. Users with the solution answered 45% of these business calls on their mobile and just 27% on their desk phone or soft phone.